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How to hear your screen read aloud

Big Font's Read screen puts a round blue Read button over your apps. Tap it and the text in front of you is read out loud.

4 minute read

Turn on Read screen

  1. Open Read screen

    In Big Font, tap Tools, then Read screen, then Turn on Read screen.

  2. Read and agree

    Big Font explains what the feature can see and asks you to agree before anything else happens.

  3. Turn on the switch in Android

    Android opens its Accessibility settings. Tap A+ Big Font (on some phones it's under Installed apps or Downloaded apps), turn the switch on and tap Allow.

  4. Go back and try it

    Return to Big Font and tap Try it to hear a sample.

Use it every day

  1. Tap the round blue Read button

    It floats over any app — messages, news, a web page.

  2. Choose what to hear

    Tap the part you want to hear, or choose to read the whole screen.

  3. Listen

    The text is read aloud, and the sentence being read is highlighted in yellow.

  4. Button in the way?

    Put a finger on it and drag it somewhere else.

In Big FontSettingsReading aloud you can choose the text size and the reading speed.

Why Android asks for “Accessibility”

Apps that help people see, hear or use the screen need Android's Accessibility permission. Android shows the same strong warning for every one of them, because this permission can see what's on the screen.

Here is exactly how Big Font uses it:

Turn it off

Open SettingsAccessibilityA+ Big Font and turn the switch off. The Read button disappears straight away. You can turn it back on at any time.

Stay safe: never turn on Accessibility for an app because a caller, a text message or a stranger asks you to. Scammers use this trick to take control of phones. Only turn it on for apps you chose and installed yourself from Google Play.

Next guide

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